Edinburgh relishing big kick off

JUSTIN Edinburgh admits he’s in confident mood as he gears up for the new campaign.

The County manager is ready to preside over his fourth season at the Exiles helm and believes his players are ready to make a fast start to the campaign after remaining undefeated in pre-season.

“We are very much excited about the new season being upon us, as a player myself, you can gauge how the boys have responded and I can tell with mine, they are chomping at the bit now to get going,” he explained.

“They are already there in terms of fitness and condition and we are looking forward.

“We are happy with fitness levels, the group have excelled throughout pre-season, their conditioning and their performances in the games have improved as we’ve gone along.

“The major thing for us is going into the game with a selection dilemma, so we are in a very good place right now.

“We’ve had a fair few games and our preparation went really well, all the players have got the minutes in their legs that they needed.”

Edinburgh is excited about an improved playing surface at Rodney Parade.

“I know the group are looking forward to the new campaign and playing at home is a great way to start and the pitch at Rodney Parade is looking in excellent condition,” he said.

“There is big excitement among the group and we need the fans to turn out in numbers so we can create a fortress again.

“All we can try and do each season is improve, I’m coming into my fourth season and we’ve done well so far with improving season-on-season.

“The pitch will help us and things are changing at the club, we have a proper training base now, we are going all posh!

“I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and that’s the big reason I am here, I feel we have a lot more growing to do as a football club.”

Edinburgh is looking for a first start with only two early home games for the Exiles, due to the NATO Summit at the Celtic Manor Resort.

“We’d like to start well, we don’t want to be playing catch-up, but the first 15 games is a case where you can’t look more than one game ahead at a time and there will be unpredictable results,” he said.

“The fans will look at it as one to win tomorrow, being at home, we’ve got a tough start and we are on the road a lot more at the start of the season.

“We look at every game at home as being winnable and we do have a tough start, but I expect some unusual results in the early weeks of the season.

“It’s a new one for me, Newport County AFC have a tough start to the season because of Barack Obama and other world leaders, but that is what it is, there is nothing we can do about it.

“We aren’t at home after Saturday until the end of the month, it levels up at the end of the season, but the powers that be have the say, we are only little Newport County AFC.”

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